Can the Urchins- or the Millers- hit the top?

Hornchurch will hopefully have a goalkeeper as they welcome Haringey Borough this evening- although they didn’t seem to need one when defeating Margate on Saturday, midfielder Joe Christou wearing the gloves for the entire match after Joe Wright was forced out before the game. The Urchins are seven league matches unbeaten, winning six of them, and another victory tonight will take them to the top of the table, their goal difference significantly better than that of current leaders Potters Bar Town. Borough start the day in seventeenth place and have lost their last two matches in league and Trophy, yet have on occasions looked much better than their lowly league position might suggest. Last season’s encounters saw Hornchurch score six goals and take four points.

Victory for Aveley at Lewes would take them to the top on goal difference were the Urchins unable to take three points. The Millers hit six on Saturday and have scored eleven in their last three matches in League and Velocity Cup, conceding only one- but they face a Rooks side who look to be back to their best form and have won three of their last four, the exception a two-two draw with Hornchurch at the Dripping Pan last Tuesday night.

Two other sides with top five pretentions meet in Essex, as Billericay Town welcome Hastings United. Both sides are on good runs; the Blues having won their last four and unbeaten in the league since August Bank Holiday Monday, United having won seven of their last nine in all competitions.

Into Pitching In Isthmian South Central, and Walton & Hersham will go second if they can defeat Hanworth Villa. The Swans are seven points behind leaders Northwood with three games in hand, and have lost only twice in the League all season, coming into this match on the back of a five goal haul against Ashford Town on Saturday. Villa have slipped to thirteenth, but put a losing run behind them with victory at Merstham on Saturday.

Pitching In Isthmian South East has seventh v sixth, as Beckenham Town host Chichester City, both sides aiming to take three points and move into the top five. City will climb into the top five with just one point, and are in fine form, their five-three win at VCD Athletic on Saturday meaning that they have only one defeat from their last eight. Becks, in contrast, seem to have lost their way a littleand have only one win from their last six. MATCH POSTPONED.

Hythe Town welcome Sheppey United to Reachfields. The Cannons have been rather Jekyll and Hythe of late, a win over Beckenham and a draw with Ashford United followed on Saturday with a six goal hammering against Chatham Town; whilst the Ites have looked good in patches but have so far been unable to create any kind of good run, following a win over the leaders with three consecutive defeats in League and Velocity Cup. MATCH POSTPONED

Speaking of the Velocity Cup, we’re back in cup action this evening. Holders Horsham host a Sussex derby with Whitehawk, whilst up the A24 in Leatherhead the Tanners welcome Kingstonian (MATCH POSTPONED). An Essex derby sees two of our Premier strugglers, Brightlingsea Regent and Bowers and Pitsea, meet on the coast- whilst another coast hosts Folkestone Invicta v Faversham Town.

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